Tangled Up In The Tinsel
by edwardsouthernbella
Summary: All Bella wants is for Edward to be home with her on Christmas Eve. will a little snow grant her wish?


**Tangled Up in the Tinsel**

**A o/s from Southern Charms and Chicago Shadows**

**Happy Holidays y'all! I wanted to give my fabulous readers a small gift. We all wanted to see how Body Guarward and Pageanella's life was after the baby was born. This is a story about their first Christmas as a family, and there won't be any serious drama. Thank you to my prereader, The DVS1 and my beta, Kitty Masen for your help. **

**BPOV**

I stood back from the Christmas tree and simply smiled. Our home, our perfect home, was completely decorated now. The lights twinkled, but, to be honest, I the three foot tree that sat on the credenza near the front door was the one I really loved. Edward and I bought it right after we came home from our honeymoon. He wasn't sure why I wanted a white tree, but I explained to him that it was an absolute necessity for the pink lights I wanted. They look so much better on it than they do the larger tree I was currently staring at in the den.

Too bad it was almost seventy degrees outside. As much as I wanted snow this year, I was fairly certain we'd have another warm South Carolina Christmas. At least I was done with school for the next two weeks. The kids were full of themselves today, but I was expecting it. They loved the party we had, and I was more than thankful for the parents that came in to help. Don't get me wrong…I love my job at Satchel Ford Elementary. There are just days when any teacher needs a little extra assistance.

From the back bedrooms, I could hear Scarlett waking up. I'd picked her up early from day care, but since she was still sleeping, I let her get the rest of her nap out. As soon as I was by her crib, I scooped up my fussy child to soothe her. She was getting longer by the day, and I imagined that she would be tall like Edward. Everyone said she looked exactly like me, from the little dimple in her chin to her dark brown hair. I changed her pink onesie and jeans in favor of blue snowflake sleeper.

"I hate to say this, Sweet Pea, but that might be the closest you get to see snow," I told my daughter as we walked into the kitchen. I set her in the cradle swing while I warmed her bottle. Edward would be home soon, and I needed to get dinner ready for us. This was one of my favorite parts of the day, when I could anticipate seeing the love of my life again. His position at Carolina Shadows was highly revered. They had brought in more private security guards within the past few weeks. He would lead a few training classes for them before they were hired by clients. To say the least, my man was very busy, but we always came first.

"I'm not sure if you know this, but you have a wonderful Daddy," I told her as we walked over to the rocking chair in the den. "He keeps us safe, provides for our every need, and he loves both of so very much. One day I'll tell you the story of how he saved me from the Wicked Witch of Columbia."

"And I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Beauty."

I turned my head to see him smiling at me. He came over to us as I stood up and enveloped us in a warm embrace.

"I've missed my girls," he said before kissing Scarlett on the top of her head. Then he leaned over to place a soft kiss on my waiting lips. Every time he did that, I was in need of more of him. We'd been married for over a year, but it always felt like the need I had for Edward would never diminish. And it was certainly apparent every night in the bedroom. We made the most of our bed, to the point that I'm sure we would need to find a new one soon.

"Sometimes I look at Scarlett and I wonder what she'll be like when she grows up," he said when he took her form my hands.

"You and I both know she'll be just like me…the center of attention," I told him with my usual air of self-confidence and bravado.

"You've always had all of mine, Bella, ever since we met on that very hot day in July."

"Looking back on it, that was a rather smoldering summer," I told him as we went into the kitchen. "I'll never forget a certain handsome man from Chicago that caught my eye. And the way he kissed…oh god, it was perfect."

"Well, let's see if you still feel that way," he said after setting her in the swing. I was in his arms in the blink of an eye, his mouth moving over mine in a sensual manner. His tongue slipped into my mouth while I grabbed at his messy auburn hair. I still had an obsession with it after all this time. He pulled me closer, and his embrace always reminded me how safe I was in his arms.

"You and you alone drive me to madness," he told me when we broke away.

"Maybe that was part of the plan all along," I told with a raised eyebrow.

"Then I'll always welcome it," he said next to my lips before kissing them once more. I swear we could have spent hours lost in each other, but the need for food won out unfortunately. Our little girl was happy in her swing while we made dinner together. Right as I was setting the dishes on the table, his phone rang, and he talked for a few minutes. From what I could hear, Edward wasn't happy. When he was done with the conversation, I could see a little bit of hurt in his eyes.

"Aro needs for me and Paul to work on Christmas Eve," he began while holding my hands. "I wasn't expecting that, but he said there is a situation we need to look at. I should only be gone for a few hours."

"It's not a problem. Scarlett and I will be fine here. We'll miss you tremendously, but I'll be busy prepping her for a life of luxury."

He couldn't hold back from smiling over that statement.

"If Sweet Pea even has an ounce of your sassiness, then I know she'll already be ready for an amazing life."

After dinner, we spent some time in the nursery, taking care of her. Edward loved to read to her, and it didn't matter what book it was. I swear he had a copy of _Sherlock Holmes_ one day on her dresser, but right now they were in the middle of "Goodnight Moon." She had a room fit for a princess. There was a petite pink crystal chandelier that lit the room softly. She had white bookcases filled with books and pictures of ballerinas on her wall. The sleigh crib had a rose colored satin dust ruffle that his mom bought for her granddaughter. No one could ever say that Scarlett Cullen wasn't loved by her family.

As he read to her, I went into the kitchen to warn up one more bottle for the night. Everything in our home was calm and relaxed now. I looked out of the window above the sink. The night sky was cloudless, but I was hoping against hope for a white Christmas.

"You look exactly like your beautiful Mom," I heard him say as I walked back into the room. "I'm so lucky that I have a daughter who is as special as my wife."

These were the moments when I fell that much harder for my wonderful husband. He looked up at me with a smile as I crossed into the room.

"Why don't you go into the bathroom and fill the tub with bubbles? I'm going to feed her and tuck her in bed. When I'm done, I'll join you in there."

After giving them both a kiss on their foreheads, I walked out of the room and did as he asked. Soon the bathroom was filled with the fragrance of flowers and I set aside my clothes. The warm water felt good all around me, and the garden tub was just big enough for us to make love in it. I sunk further into the water, spread my legs apart, and I imagined his nimble fingers inside me. I could not stop myself from tracing my clit. As I heard the door opening, I saw the desire in his eyes growing as I moaned his name.

"If my memory serves me correctly, this happens to be a pattern of yours," he said before stripping out of his clothes. "I've lost count of how many times I've caught you in the tub all ready for me."

"Mmmmm, Edward…you told me that…mmmmm, you would join me," I responded as I rubbed over my folds. "Show me how much you want me."

"Now that is all my pleasure," he told me as he slid in next to me, and we began kissing passionately. Our tongues mingled as I moved over his body. He nibbled and languidly sucked on my bottom lip as I grinded next to his cock, which was getting harder by the second.

"This, Beauty…this is how much I want you," he said after easing my body over his. I could feel every thick, hard inch fill me. We were consumed with our love and need for each other. It was felt in every touch, every caress, and with each tender kiss. After two deep thrusts, I came hard on him while I moaned his name endlessly. He filled my pussy with his cum only moments later, and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"I love you, more than words could ever express, Edward," I eventually whispered while we held each other.

He lifted my chin to place a soft kiss on my mouth. "As I love you forever, my southern girl."

Every time he said that, I swooned hard.

We stayed in the tub until the water became too cold. After gently drying me off, he carried me to our warm bed where he worshiped my body until I fell asleep in his protective embrace. My dreams were about the abundant love and happiness we shared.

**EPOV**

At some point during the weekend, I checked the weather forecast, and there was a very good chance snow was headed to South Carolina in time for Christmas. The winter warning included Columbia. Since it was coming up from the south, the odds were in favor for a storm. We would have at least three inches, possibly five, which was a large amount for the state. Back in Chicago, we would have not even blinked an eye over this amount, but this was a big deal here. Bella was thrilled because she had not seen snow in years.

But it was Christmas Eve morning, and my wife didn't want me to leave.

"We don't know how to drive here in South Carolina when we get any winter weather. Can you blame me for being concerned about you?" she asked as I slipped on my jacket.

"I drove in snow storms for years, Beauty. No matter what, I'll be home soon because my family is far more important than anything at work. Remember…you have to teach Sweet Pea about tiaras and diamonds today."

She gave me a hint of her fabulous smile that I craved day and night.

"All I want is you, here at home, with us, my Beloved," she replied as we held each other tightly.

"I promise I will be home very soon," I told her before kissing her mouth deeply. Even though I never wanted to stop, I had to get out; otherwise, I'd never make to Carolina Shadows. After telling her goodbye, I pulled out of the driveway, and to my delight, I discovered the traffic wasn't that bad. The clouds looked heavy, though, and it appeared that we were in for snow. The university and downtown were almost empty, but Paul was there, waiting for me.

Aro called us as soon as we were settled into the office. It seems that Victoria was trying to find a way to hire personal protection through Chicago Shadows. She had not made contact with the company in almost two years, which made all of us wonder why she was doing this now. Aro said that she was looking for me specifically, but he immediately turned her down. Supposedly, Victoria offered some incredible amount of money to him in order to persuade me to come back to Chicago to protect her.

It was really hard to control the laughter that followed after he told me that.

Was that vile bitch really serious?

Aro told me that he knew my life was firmly grounded in Columbia, and he needed me to run the operations department. He felt that we needed to know that she was trying to worm her way back into the business. I told Aro that, if she made contact with me again, I'd make sure she went to the bowels of hell this time. He emailed a copy of her requests for personal security, and I made copies to set in a file in case we ever needed them. Victoria was always a little delusional, and this was more proof of her insanity.

Paul and I really were not that busy. There were three other phone calls that came in that morning, two of which were wrong numbers. We sat back and talked about our families for a little while. He was just as ready as I was to get out of here to celebrate the holiday with his wife and kids. Eventually, there was a text message for me.

_It's snowing here. Please come home soon. We miss you and love you._

There was a picture of my Bella and our little girl by the window. Indeed there was a light dusting of flakes falling outside as I looked out the front window. We had been in the back of the building for so long that we had not noticed it. After calling Aro to let him know we needed to close up shop for the day, he said for us to have a Merry Christmas. He understood that people down her don't take very well to snow, so we might not be open for a few days.

After sending Bella a text back to let her know I was on my way, I drove through town very carefully towards our home in Forest Acres. She was right about the fact that no one knew how to drive in this around here. People were breaking too hard while I knew to gently ease on the brake. I avoided getting into an accident, thank god, and I was never so happy to pull into our driveway. After getting out of the car, I saw Bella and a very bundled up Scarlett headed towards me.

"Don't you two look like a sight for sore eyes," I told them as I scooped up our little one and we walked around in the yard for a few minutes. I loved seeing the snow in her hair, and I pulled my phone out to take a few pictures of my girl. She'd always been a natural at posing, but this was a rare treat. After I had taken enough photos of the two of them, we went back inside.

As Bella took the snow suit off our daughter, I lit the gas logs that were installed last month. Amazingly, they kept almost all the house warm. We chose to have a casual lunch in the den, and I let her know about Victoria's emails to Aro.

"Is she serious? Why would she specifically want you to be her body guard after the fallout? Is she smoking crack?"

"I have no idea what is going on inside her head to be honest," I said while shaking my head. "The woman came across as desperate in the emails I read. Aro told her that in no uncertain terms was she allowed to have contact with me."

"I just don't trust her, Edward. There has to be a reason why she is asking for you after all of this time," she said after setting down her cup. "So long as she stays away from our family, then I really don't care what she does in the future."

"We share the same sentiment," I responded as I kissed her forehead lightly. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing together. We read countless books to Scarlett, who was paying more attention to them every day. The snow was falling at a steady rate, and soon our yard looked like a winter wonderland. The twinkling lights on the tree seemed to fascinate our daughter. Once we were done eating a light supper, Bella gave her a short bath, and she fed her while I went back into the den.

I had just enough time to lay out some blankets and pillows for the two of us. There was a special gift I planned on giving her tonight. It was in our bedroom, and, as I walked by the nursery, I saw her setting Scarlett in her bed.

"After I get something from the bedroom, would you like to join me in the den?"

"As a matter of fact…give me a few minutes and I'll be right there," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

I made fast work out of grabbing the box from the dresser. Back in the den, I turned up the heat on the fire, and took off all of my clothes except my boxers. Multiple thoughts went through my mind as I looked at our pictures on the mantle. Most of them were of her or Scarlett, but I picked up the one of our wedding day. God, she was nothing less than heaven on this earth. We were looking at each other in this photograph; the love we shared was beyond obvious.

"Merry Christmas, Edward," she said, and when I turned to look at my wife, my breath was taken away. She was wearing a red slip that hugged her sweet curves perfectly.

_Breathe Cullen…remember to breathe._

I walked over to her, took her in my arms, and ran my finger through her hair.

"Merry Christmas, my Bella," I told her before we were swept up in a searing kiss. Even as our tongues danced and swirled together, I gathered her up and we were soon lying in front of the fireplace. The scent of her perfume was in her hair and slip. That always made me hard because I could see her every detail about the time we met. It still floored me that this gorgeous woman chose me, the guy who only had his heart to offer.

I pulled back because this was the perfect moment for me to give her the gift.

"Why didn't you wait till tomorrow morning to give this to me?" she said while pulling at the paper.

"We're going to be busy since it's her first Christmas, and I have other gifts to give you. This one, though, is extra special to me."

She slid the box open and covered her mouth.

It was a picture of us from our honeymoon, from the night we went to High Cotton and the concert. Phil had taken several pictures, but he was unable to find this one until a few weeks ago. The two of us were smiling at each other. It was one of my favorite pictures.

"I've never seen this before…how did you get it?"

I told her the short story, and we set the frame on the mantle. She was standing in front of me while I had my arms around her waist. After pulling her hair to one side, I began placing kisses down her neck to her shoulder. The glowing lights made her skin glow.

"As much as I like the way this looks on you, I'd rather unwrap my gift now," I told her as I began pulling the thin straps down her arms. "You are, after all, the greatest gift the world could ever offer me."

The slip fell to the floor in a cloud of red fabric. I turned her body to face mine and we lay down together. Once I discarded my boxers, I sucked on her nipples greedily as she arched her spine. Her eyes followed mine as I kissed my way down to her curvy hips.

"You know there is absolutely no way I'll ever have enough of you," she whispered as I nudged her legs apart.

"I thought those were my words to say to you," I replied while sliding my finger on the very inside of her pussy. "You're always wet for me aren't you?"

She responded with unintelligible words and whimpers as I began to lick her clit. She was fucking beautiful to watch as she came apart slowly. I would not let her come just yet. She asked for more when I slid in a third finger. When I barely touched that spot, she cried out my name, and I rubbed over it even more. Her sweet cum ran over my fingers and my mouth.

After I knew she was breathing in a normal manner, I moved over her body, slid my aching cock inside her, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. Neither one of us seemed to get enough of the other as we moved together sensually.

"Beauty…oh god, I love you…with all of my very existence. I want to give you everything under the fucking sun. "

"You are just that, Edward…you're my everything, and I love you so much."

We clung to each other, sharing our passion though our intense lovemaking. I whispered how I was devoted to her, and she told me that I was her protector. All we ever longed for was each other, for this beautiful love we made together. All too soon we were thoroughly spent from our many orgasms, and I cradled her body in my arms.

"This is one of the best Christmases ever," she said with a sweet smile.

"Indeed my Beauty, and you got the white Christmas you wanted too," I told her before kissing her lips.

We watched the snow falling for a short time until I carried her off to bed. As she slept in my arms, I silently thanked whoever was responsible for the multiple blessings I had. No matter what I had to do in the future, I would fight to keep my beautiful wife and my precious daughter safe and loved always.

**Hope you all enjoyed that! In a few weeks, a sequel to SC&CS will be posting! Please leave your thoughts. XXOO**


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